The attraction of forbidden places

It seems like the news is filled with people (and animals) managing to find entry into places they are not allowed to be. First off, the security breach in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Then there was the bear that managed to gain admittance into a school in Karnataka, broke into the staff room, knocking over furniture and feasting on the snacks there. Naturally, these reminded me of Muladeva, and his talent for sneaking into forbidden places. Who is Muladeva, you ask?

Muladeva is the legendary master of magic and thievery, and tales of him abound in all the famous story collections in Sanskrit. Apart from being tremendously good at his job and addicted to gambling, Muladeva was also helpful, probably with a weak spot for lovers. One of his stories appears in the Vetala Panchavimshati.

Once, a young man called Manahsvamin came to him for help. Manahsvamin had recently rescued the princess Shashiprabha from a wild elephant, and as he lifted and carried her off to safety, he had fallen deeply in love with her, and she with him. But he was after all a brahmin, and couldn’t walk into the palace and ask to marry the princess. So, he turned to Muladeva for help.

Muladeva came up with a most entertaining plan. He popped a magic pill into his own mouth, instantly transforming into an old brahmin. He also gave Manahsvamin a pill to transform him into a beautiful young woman, and they set off for the palace.

Muladeva personally met the king in disguise and told him that the young woman was to be his daughter-in-law, but his son had irresponsibly run away and so it was the king’s duty to guard the young lady’s virtue until his son, her fiancé, returned. The king took his responsibilities seriously and entrusted the young lady (Manahsvamin in disguise) to the princess, telling her to keep her companion safe.

Eventually, Manahsvamin disclosed his true identity to the princess, changed back into a man at will by removing the magic pill from his mouth, and their romance proceeded without any impediment. This worked well, until a rich young man saw Manahsvamin in his feminine form and fell in love with her, insisting on marrying her. The king allowed it, but Manahsvamin insisted her new husband go on a long pilgrimage and stayed happily in the young man’s absence, romancing other women in the meanwhile.

Then, Muladeva, master of magic, came back as the old brahmin, demanding his daughter-in-law’s return. Of course, the said daughter-in-law had been given away in marriage, and the king, to avoid getting cursed, handed over his own daughter, the princess Shashiprabha, to the old brahmin for his son, to make amends. But who was to play the role of the old brahmin’s son? Since Manahsvamin was still masquerading as a woman by day, Muladeva brought along another friend to pretend to be his son. Now, princess Shashiprabha was married to Manahsvamin per their secret union, but was legally married to Muladeva’s friend by her father’s approval. At this point, the two men, Manahsvamin and Muladeva’s friend, began to fight, each claiming to be her rightful husband.

And this is the question that Vetal poses to King Vikram -- who was Shashiprabha’s real husband? King Vikram, of course, ever the stickler for propriety, claims that the legally wedded husband is the real one. But I have a different question for you. Whom shall we blame for the whole series of events, ending with the fight? Muladeva, who orchestrated the whole plan? Manahsvamin, for his cheating? The king, for not keeping his word and keeping the ‘woman’ safe? Muladeva’s friend, for being opportunistic? I personally think we can blame all the men in the story, who simply never ask the woman whom she wants to marry. But we can let parliament debate this one, too.